Return to Suburbia
by Ramona Yukari
Summary: Rating may go up. On Naota's 23rd birthday, Ninamori calls and tells him of his father's death. He returns to Mabase and with some help, he may be able to find what he's been missing all these years.


A/N: Hey! I know it's been forever since I've updated or started anything(January...yikes!). Well, now that it's summer, I'm going to finish some stuff along with starting a new story. This one is a multi-chapter sequel to 'Whatsername'. Hope you like.

Summary: After a call on his 23rd Birthday, Naota returns to Mabase after the death of his father. With the help of some old friends, a crazy _gajin_, the girl who left him long ago and her just as insane cousin, he may be able to discover what he's been missing all of these years.

Disclaimer: I do not own FLCL, _Ghost World_, or Green Day. Or anything else copyrighted I can't think of right now. I've upped my Green Day ownership status to 5 cds, a poster, 4 t-shirts, and two patches. I do own Lulu and Sukue though...

Chapter 1: We're Coming Home Again

"NAOTA!"

Old Lady Sukue leaned her head out her window and scowled at Naota who was only 5 feet away. He cringed and looked over at her wrinkled face covered in geisha makeup and her heavy geisha wig which looked like it weighed more than her head. "Um...hello Miss Sukue..." She pointed a crooked finger at him. "Don't you hello me! You're cat ate my herbs again!" Naota laughed nervously as he shifted his grocery bag from one arm to another. "Miyu Miyu just doesn't like the food I give him..." Sukue gritted her teeth. "Bullshit! If I catch him again, I'm using HIM for food!" She slammed the window and an apple fell out of Naota's bag. "Crazy ass bitch...",he muttered as he picked up the apple and went up the steps to his apartment.

Naota put down his bag and sifted his pockets for his keys. He pulled them out and started to unlock the door when he noticed a pink piece of paper sticking out. He pulled it out and read it out loud.

"Dear Naota, We came over to fuck you but you were not home. Therefore...you are gay. Signed, Chifufuni and Anberu."

He heard a light giggle from the other side of the door. He sighed as he unlocked the door and opened it. Just as soon as he turned on the light, confetti streamed into his face. "Surprise! Happy Birthday Naota-kun!" Naota wiped the confetti out of his face to see Lulu Docklweld. Lulu was his wild neighbor from California. She had shoulder length black hair tied back in a big blue ribbon. Her blue eyes shone behind her dark blue framed glasses. She had on a light blue shirt with a long sleeved white one under it. Her blue jeans were crackle sandblasted and her shoes were the same blue as her shirt. She pushed the black hair away from his forehead and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed a bit as he brought the grocery bag in.

"So, how was your day?", asked Lulu as she messed around with the CD player. Naota sighed as he took off his jacket and threw it on the back of the couch. "Work sucks, I barely had enough money for food, and I hate that old hag downstairs who keeps threatening to eat my cat! I'm just glad it's Sunday..." Lulu sighed. "That bad of a birthday, huh?" She looked through his CD collection. "Well, I would usually suggest the Sex Pistols for a really bad day that should be going right, but since it's your birthday, you pick." Naota thought for a second. "Um...how 'bout _American Idiot_?" Lulu smirked as she pulled out the CD. "Good choice..." She put it in, pressed the repeat button, and turned up the volume as the beginning riff blasted through the apartment.

"Ok, Naota, you can forget about making dinner because..." She pulled a cloth off the coffee table to reveal a bunch of snacks and a bowl of ramen. "I'm bringing out my snack stash just for tonight!" Naota smiled. As long as he'd had know Lulu, she had never put herself before others, even though she was a stranger to all of Japan. She sat on the floor and pulled out her chopsticks and dug into the ramen. Naota went for the Pocky. Lulu and Naota talked into the night as Lulu talked about her life in California and Naota talked about Mabase. He even included the girl known as Haruko, a name that just re-appeared his head a few months ago. Lulu laughed at Naota's misfortune often but sympathized with him. "Well, It's gotta be great living on your own now." She sipped at her Strawberry Ramune and downed a packet of Sour Apple Pop Rocks. Naota shrugged as popped a chocolate filled marshmallow in his mouth. "I don't know. I still feel like something is missing after all these years." He fell silent as the end 'Nobody Likes You' and the beginning of 'Rock and Roll Girlfriend' ran through his ears.

Ring! Ring!

Naota and Lulu looked at the phone. "You want me top get it, Naota?" He sighed and shook his head. "No...I'll get it." He stood up and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Naota?"

It was Ninamori. Naota gulped. "Um...Hi. How's it going?" She sighed. "Good, I guess. Today was your birthday right?" Naota nodded as he muttered "Yes. It was."

Silence fell over both ends.

"Well...Happy Birthday Naota..." She sighed again. "That's not why I called though..."

Naota looked over at Lulu, who was picking up more ramen with her chopsticks. "Why did you call?"

More silence fell before Ninamori breathed in and said, "You need to come back home Naota...Your dad just died..."

Naota fell into an uncomfortable silence. Not even a gasp escaped his body. He just stood rigid as he dropped the phone on the floor. "Naota? Naota?", asked Ninamori over the dropped phone. Lulu stood up. "Naota-kun, what's wrong?" Naota just stood silent as the last part of 'Homecoming' came through the speakers.

Home...We're coming home again...

A/N: A few references to note:

1.)The note Lulu left on the door is almost like the one Enid left on Josh's door in _Ghost World_(awesome movie if you've never seen it). Except 'Dear Josh' is replaced with 'Dear Naota' and the Japanese spellings of Tiffany and Amber were used.

2.)Docklweld is an anagram of my last name. Also, here's what Lulu looks like(I used the Candybar doll maker): http/i4. 


End file.
